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(No Model.)

A. R. ANDERSON. OAR-PBTOR OIL CLOTH STRETGHER.

Patented Jan. 1.1 3., 1891.

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UNITED STATES PATENT EEI t-L;

ANDREW R. ANDERSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CARPET OR OIL-CLOTH STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 444,415, dated January 13, 1891. I

Application filed March 13, 1890. Serial No. 343,691. (No model.)

' quickly and easily adjusted for use on either tures of construction and combination of.

oil-cloths or carpets, and will stretch them without injury.

The invention consists in certain novel feaparts of the carpet or oil-cloth stretcher, all as hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a partof this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating the operation of my improved stretcher device in laying an oil-cloth floor-covering, which is shown in section. Fig. 2 is a top perspective view of the device arranged as an oil-cloth stretcher, and Fig. 3 is a top perspective view showing the device adjusted in the preferred manner for use as a carpet-stretcher.

My improved stretcher device will first be described with more special reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, which show it adjusted in the preferred manner for use in stretching an oil-cloth or other floor-covering which would be damaged by piercing it with teeth on the stretcher-head.

The stretcher-bar A is preferably provided at its back end with a knee or foot plate a, which preferably has threaded holes a a to receive removable spurs or teeth used when the device is adjusted for stretching carpets. At its forward end the bar A is provided with a transversely-ranging fixed head-plate B, which preferably inclines forward, and at its front edge is provided with an upturned flange b, which is pierced with a series of holes for passage of the teeth of a carpetstretching plate,hereinafter mentioned. Over this fixed head-plate B of the stretcher-bar A is held, preferably by set-screws G O, a removable transversely-ranging plate D, which forms the lower relatively stationary jaw of the oilcloth clamp. The set-screws O C pass upward through holes I) b in the head-plate B into threaded holes in the jaw-plate D, which at its down-bent forward part or edge is provided with a groove or rabbetd, with which the upper edge of the flange 1) of the head-plate B interlocks.

The j aw plate D has a concavocon vex form, whereby its rear concave portion offers resistance against the pressure of a relativelymovable clamping-jaw E, pivoted at e to the main stretcher-bar A, and the front rounded or convexed portion of the jaw-plate D forms, with the rounded lower forward part of .the fixed head-plate B, a continuously and vertically rounded surface, which may exert harmless pressure on the bight of the up-bent end of a piece of oil-cloth being laid with the help of the stretcher device, as hereinafter more fully described. The shank or neck of the movable clamping-jaw E is preferably arched to give more room beneath it for the clamped end of the oil-cloth or floor-covering, and the bent shank is provided with a lug e, to which is pivoted at f one end of a link F, the other end of which is pivoted at f to the forward part of the main operating-lever G, which has a pointed end adapted to enter the floor, and is preferably made in two sections or parts or with a removable handle end g to facilitate convenient storage or transportation. The pivots e f are preferably screws, which may easily be removed to allow detachment of the movable jaw E and permit direct connection of the link F with the stretcherbar A, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, which illustrates the adjustment of the stretcher for operation on carpets. In this case the spurs II II are screwed into the stretcher-bar knee-plate holes a a, and the clamp-jaw plate D is also removed, and in its place a plate I, having teeth i, which pass through the holes in the flange Z) of the headplate B, is held by the same screws 0 O, which are passed through slots in the toothed plate into the head-plate. When the stretcher is adjusted, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, for operation on an oil-cloth J the free end j of the latter will be doubled over the rounded ends of the two head-plates B D and passed under the clamp-j aw E, and when the pointed end of the operating-lever G is planted in the floor next the base-board and the lever is pushed forward by the operator the oil-cloth will be securelyheld between the clamp-jaws D E, and all the more tightly as the lever is pushed forward to stretch the oilcloth, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig.1 of the drawings. During this stretching operation the operators knee will prevent excessive lifting of the back end or plate CL of the main stretcher-bar A while holding the plate above the oil-cloth, so it will not mar or scratch its face. When the stretching is completed, the operator will press the stretcher-bar to the oil-cloth with his knee, as in dotted lines, to clamp the cloth to the floor and preventit slipping backward, whereupon a tack K will be driven into the cloth and floor to hold the cloth until its free edge j, when released by the stretcher-clamp, will be nailed to the floor after the clamp-head and lever are .thrown backward out of the way. If necessary, a second hold may be taken of the oil-cloth to stretch it farther after the holding-tack is applied and before its free edge is nailed to the floor. The clamp-jaw E bites on the wrong side of the oil-cloth. llence its exposed or outer face is not marred by the clamp. I

To use the stretcher in laying carpets, the studs H will be set into the knee-plate a, and the jaw-plates D E will be removed and the toothed plate I will be applied, and the link F connected to the stretcher-bar, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, and the lever will be used in substantially the same way, the teeth i being passed through the carpet to stretch it, and the knee'plate studs II will be forced through the carpet into the floor to hold the carpet until it is secured by tacks It will be understood, however, that when the device is adjusted with the clamp-jaws for laying oilcloths it may be used also for stretching carpets in substantially the manner above described.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. lhe combination, in a carpet and oilcloth stretcher, of a stretcher-bar having at its rear end or part a knee or presser plate and provided at its forward end with a fixed clam pi ngjaw, a relative] y-movable clampingjaw pivoted to the stretcher-bar, an operating-lever, and a link connecting said lever with the movable clamping-jaw,substantially as described, for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination, in a carpet and oilcloth stretcher, of a stretcher-bar having at its rear end or part a knee or presscr plate provided with removable spurs, said bar havin g at its forward end a fixed clamping-jaw, a relatively movable clamping-jaw pivoted to the stretcher-bar, an operating-lever, and a link connecting said lever with the movable clamping-jaw, substantially as described, for the purposes set forth.

3. A combined carpet and oil-cloth stretcher, consisting of a stretcher-bar provided with a head-plate, an operating-lever, the interchangeable clamp D E and toothed plate I, and a link connection between the bar and lever, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination, in a carpet and oilcloth stretcher, of a main stretcher-bar A, having a rear knee or presser plate a and a front head-plate 13, provided with an upturned perforated flange Z), a clamp-jaw D, held to the head-plate, a movable clamp-jaw E, pivoted to the bar A, a pointed operating-lever G, and a link F, connecting said lever with the clamp-jaw E, substantially as described, for the purposes set forth.

5. In a carpet and oil-cloth stretcher, the main stretcher-bar provided with a headplate B, having an upturned perforated flange l), a removable concave-convex stationary clamp-jaw I), held to the head-plate and having a groove cl interlocking with the flange Z), a movable clamp-jaw E, pivoted to the stretcher-bar, an operating-lever, and a link connecting the movable jaw and lever, substantially as herein set forth.

ANDRINV R. ANDERSON,

Witnesses:

HENRY L. GOODWIN, C. SEDGWICK. 

